| What is Selenium?
Selenium is well established as an essential trace mineral for the human body. Independent research has shown how deficient levels of selenium in the diet have been linked to a greater occurrence of diseases like cancer and heart disease. Selenium has been shown to have strong antioxidant properties. Antioxidants are minerals and vitamins that can inhibit the formation of free radicals before they are able to cause damage by breaking down the molecules of the cell.
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Free Radicals To understand what free radicals are, it is important to know a little chemistry. Atoms are comprised of a nucleus that is surrounded by electrons, which exist in pairs. Outside substances cause a single electron to be removed leaving the nucleus with an "unpaired" electron, thus creating a "free" radical. Such outside substances are: environmental pollutants, radiation, medicines, cigarette smoke, alcohol, stress, over exposure to the suns rays, and a high intake of polyunsaturated fats. Free radicals are involved in most chronic diseases. Several diseases that are believed to be linked to free radicals are cancer, heart disease, hardening of the arteries and premature aging.
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Research Shows that even a well balanced diet does not supply the daily-recommended allowance of selenium. Recent studies have shown that a daily intake of 200 mcg of organically bound selenium may reduce the occurrence of many of the diseases associated with free radicals.
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Variables The nutritional bioavailability, toxicity and cancer chemoprevention proprieties of selenium are chemical species dependent. Selenium enriched yeast is used as a selenium enriched source in nutritional supplements and its consumption has been found to be associated with statistically significant reduction in cancer mortality and total cancer incidence. Selenium deficiency will cause skeletal and cardiac muscle dysfunction and this element is known to prevent cell membranes from oxidative damage. Selenoamino acids have been shown to be important with respect to bioavailability. Selenium enriched yeast from different sources also show markedly different chromatogrpahic (organic binding) profiles.
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The Basic Organic Chemistry Organic chemistry is the study of compounds (molecules) that contain carbons. Molecules are tightly bound clusters of atoms. What holds atoms together are powerful attractants called chemical bonds. There are two types of chemical bonds:
- Covalent bonds (organic compounds)
- Ionic bonds (inorganic compounds)
Organic and inorganic compounds differ in properties because they differ in bond structure. As previously stated, the organic binding of selenoamino acids have been shown to be important with respect to the selenium bioavailability. This bonding profile has been shown to differ between various selenium enriched yeast samples.
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